Watched by a crowd of 114,580 spectators in
ciudad de México's Azteca Stadium, the match was heavy with tension because of the
overspill of feeling from the Falklands War. Squads of military police
brandishing white batons patrolled the ground, but apart from a few isolated
skirmishes the rival England and Argentine fans gave all their attention to a
game that was electric with action and atmosphere.

All eyes were on Diego
Maradona, who was in the form of his life and forcing good judges to reassess
whether Pele really was the greatest footballer of all time. He might have
been the shortest man on the field at 5ft 4in, but the chunky, wide-shouldered
Argentine captain paraded across the pitch with the assured air of a giant
among pygmies. England's defenders noticeably quivered every time he took
possession, which was often because he was continually demanding the ball the
moment it reached the feet of any team-mate. When he had the ball on his left
foot, he would glide past tackles with the ease of a Rolls-Royce overtaking a
Reliant Robin; and when he did not have the ball he was still a menace because
of the speed with which he ran into areas of space to make himself available
for a pass.

England defender Terry
Fenwick, out of the retaliate-first school of football, decided that a
physical assault might be the best way to keep Maradona quiet. Wrong! All he
got for his clumsy effort was a booking and a cold stare from the Master that
could be interpreted as meaning that he would eventually pay for his attempted
ambush. He would pick his moment to provide action to go with that look.

England might have fared
better in a goalless first forty-five minutes had they been more adventurous,
but they were so conscious of Maradona's match-winning ability that they
cautiously kept players back in defence. They would have been better employed
supporting raids against an Argentine back line that looked vulnerable under
attack.

The second-half belonged
almost entirely to Maradona, and the two goals that he scored became the
major talking point of the entire tournament. The first will always be
remembered for its controversy - many would say, cheating - and the second for its quite
astounding quality.

Six minutes had gone of the
second-half when Maradona swept the ball to the feet of Valdano, and raced
into the penalty area for the return. As he made his break some England
defenders were appealing for offside. But the linesman's flag stayed down as
Valdano's centre was deflected across the face of the England goal by Steve
Hodge. Goalkeeper Peter Shilton came off his line prepared to punch clear.

There seemed no way the
stocky Maradona, dwarfed by the powerfully built England goalkeeper, could
outjump Shilton. Spectators looked on in amazement as the ball cannoned into
the net off Maradona with the airborne Shilton stretching out to thrash empty
air.

All eyes in the Press box
swivelled towards the action replay on the television screen for confirmation
of what they thought they had just seen, and there was the instant evidence.
No doubt about it, Maradona had pushed the ball into the net with his left
hand.

Outraged Shilton led a
posse of protesting players trying to persuade referee Ali Ben Naceur that the
goal had been illegal but, from the angle that the Tunisian saw it, Maradona
appeared to have scored with his head. He pointed to the centre-circle and the
little man from Buenos Aires went on a dance of celebration that should have
been a skulk of shame.

Four minutes later, with
the aggrieved England players trying to regain their composure, the Jeykll and
Hyde character that was Maradona unveiled the genius in his game. He produced
the sort of magic that had prompted Napoli to buy him from Barcelona for a
world record £6.9 million in 1984.

To say he ran rings round
England would be too simple a description of a goal that stands comparison
with the very best scored anywhere and at any time. Indeed, it was voted Goal
of the Century in 1999.

Running with the ball at
his feet from close to the halfway line, Maradona drew England defenders to
him like a spider luring its prey. Kenny Sansom, Terry Butcher and then Terry
Fenwick - he who tried a physical assault in the first half - all came into
the Maradona web and were left in a tangle behind him as he accelerated past
their attempted tackles.

Again, it was Maradona
versus Shilton, this time on the ground. Maradona did not have to cheat his
way past the England goalkeeper. He sold him an outrageous dummy that left
Shilton scrambling for a shot that was never made, and then nonchalantly
prodded the ball into the empty net for a goal of breathtaking beauty. It was
a moment of magnificence that sweetened the sour taste left by Maradona's
first goal. Well, almost.

England, to their credit,
battled back and substitute John Barnes laid on a goal for the razor-sharp
Lineker in the eightieth minute (making Gary the tournament's top marksman
with six goals). But it was Argentina who went through to the semi-finals.

As they walked exhausted
off the bakehouse of a pitch after their 2-1 defeat, the England players - led
by Shilton - found the energy to continue their complaints to the referee
about the first Maradona goal. But most of the capacity crowd were talking
only about his second goal as they filed out of the ground at the end of an
eventful quarter-final that would always be remembered as 'Maradona's match.'

The little man had a mix
between a smile and a smirk on his face as he said later: 'Yes, the ball did
go into the England net off my hand. It was the hand of God. It was not
deliberate and so I do not in any way feel guilty claiming it as a goal. Would
an England player have gone to the referee and said, "Don't award the goal.
The ball hit my hand?" Of course not. Anyway, why all the controversy? Surely
my second goal ended all arguments.'

Bobby Robson summed up the
feelings of most England followers when he said: 'There is no room in football
for cheating. Maradona is a magnificent footballer, but he should be
thoroughly ashamed of himself. Yes, his second goal was a thing of wonder, but
that should have counted as Argentina's first goal.'

Source Notes

José Luis Cuciuffo died on 11 December 2004 due to a
stomach wound from a hunting accident.